Body-supporter.



L. P. CALLAHAN.

BODY SUPPORT.

APPLICATION men JULY 26. 1915.

93 Patented Dec.14,1915.

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BY 1 I ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, 1). 2.

MM b3 L. P. CALLAHAN.

BODY SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. l9|5.

1 9 1 $4 333. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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LOUIS P. GALLAHAN, 01E? WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

J3 ODY-SUPI O BTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. its, 1915.

Application filed .Tu1y 26, 1915.. Serial No. 41,951.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs P. CALLAHAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Westfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Body-Supporters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a supporter for the body and the same is particularly characterized by the inclusion therein of a vertical back member having opposite angularl extended and forwardly curved adjustable members to bear on the hips and back at opposite sides of the spine and to support the back member clear of the spine, an abdominal band and means for its engagement with the back member and shoulder encircling members having connections with the back member at its upper part and at upper opposite side portions thereof. This appliance is to beworn for various advantageous purpose, such as reducing, and lessening the protrusion of, the abdomen, imparting a straightened or setting up effect to the person; conducing to the comfort and ease of carriage of a corpulent person; and acting as a protector to persons who have recently undergone surgical operations.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the body support as worn; Fig. 2 shows the abdominal band detached. Fig. 3 shows a face view of the form of buckle or take-up tie plate such as employedin conjunction with various parts of the body support,Fig. 4 being a sectional view on line i -*1, Fig. 3. Fig.5 is a rear elevation of the body support, on a considerably larger scale, various parts thereof being represented as disconnected one from another, and some of the parts being represented as having portions thereof cut or torn away for the economy of space,the abbreviated parts, however, being in substantially their proper relative positions. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the back member of the device.

In the drawings. A represents a back member, vertically arranged and having upper and lower pairs of opposite angularly extended and forwardly curved members a a to bear on the hips and theba'ck at opposite sides of th spine and to support the ba ik member free and clear of the spine.

B represents the abdominal band which has an engagement with the back member, and C C represent shoulder encircling members having connections with the back mem her at its upper part and also at opposite side portions thereof.

The vertical back member A is composed of facewise related longitudinally adjustable sections Z) and 0, the section 0 being provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots (Z (Z through which bolts (P. which are carried by, or through perforations in the section b are extended, said bolts having confining nuts. The back member A may, therefore, be lengthened and shortened so thrt the upper and lower pairs of bearing members a a may be positioned to suit the person of different wearers. The bearing members a a are laterally adjustable, and they also have swinging adjustments whereby their distention outwardly from the back member and the distance of their vertical separation may be such as to best adapt them to the person. As a provision for this capability the sectionally formed back member has bolts 0 a near the edge portions of its upper and lower ends; and it also has are shaped slots f f, concentric with said bolts, 0.

The forwardly curved and outwardly extended members have longitudinally alined slots g, 9 those 9 being near the inner end of such members, while the ones 9 g are in outward relations thereto.

' The aforementioned bolts 6 are passed through the outer slots g, and have confining nuts therefor.

The curved slots 7 intersect the inner slot g so that the members a swinging on the loosened bolts 6 as fulcrums may be revolubly adjustably moved for increasing or lessening the distance between the upper and lower sets of such members, and the parts may be held in their adjusted positions by the bolts or set screws h.

The abdominal band suitably widened at its central part has strap extensions 71 of loop shape, provided with take-up buckles or tie plates j, such as shown in face view and section in Figs. 3 and 4, and these strap extensions have clasp members 70, lo one having a hook 70 and the'other a slot 75* for the connection when the band is adjusted and carried around the abdomen, with each other, such clasp being at the back and havigg an engagement with the back member- .v

One of the plates, the rearmost one, of the back member'A is formed with upwardly opening and rearwardly offsettongues m m, and the aforementioned clasp members 7c 0 have their lower edges angularly formed to provide shoulders 0. v

WVhen the abdominal band is in. place around the person, and the members 70,11

of the clasp engage with each other, the clasp overlies on the outer face of the back member A, and has an engagement within the tongues m m, and the shoulders 0 having edgewise engagements with the edges of thetongue-provided plate section, prevent rocking of the clasp and hold it steady for the proper engagement of the band with the back member.

The shoulder encircling members C C have connections at p with the upper end of the back member A to which-they con- Verge, and they also have connections at q (7, with the back member at upper opposite side portions thereof. Both of the shoulder encircling members C are connected with a plate 8 which by having a hook s at its lower'end is in substance a clasp and for the engagement with the back member A,

' by said hook s the member A is provided with the horizontal slot 8 The ends of the members C which are carried upwardly around the shoulders and downwardly under the arms to connections with the upper side portions of the back member A, receive their connections through means of the hook ended clasp plate t, and the vertical slots 25 in the back member. s

The substantially flexible shoulder encircling members C C comprise flexible sion or circumstances may require.

The back member A and the extension members or arms a a may be advantageously composed of aluminum, as also may the intermediate sections w w of the shoulder ena circling members 0.

w other metal or material.

' In applying the body support, the inter Theabdominal band may be composed of suitable fabric and stiffened in a desirable degree by having thereon or inclosed therewithin, a skeleton frame y of aluminum or mediate metallic or rigid members to are brought to place to fit in the front of, and

under the arms, and the encircling members C are connected to the back member at the top and also at the upper side portions thereof,the encircling members being adjusted as to length by the take-up buckles or tie plates.

The abdominal band is brought to place around the body and fastened by the clasps which are inserted in. their engagements with the upwardly open tongues m,the strap-like terminals of the abdominal band being, of course, adjusted to proper length.

Vhile being worn, the back member A will be supported by the curved extension members a. a on either side of the line of the spine, under the shoulder blades and on the fleshy part of the hips at either side of the crupper bone.

While there is a very substantial support on the body by the back member A, there is no strain onthe spine while the effect of the appliance is to draw the abdomen into shape, increasing the chest expansion, straightening the shoulders and permitting the back bone to acquire increased strength and natural position.

' This appliance is especially beneficial for the support of large abdomens, for the relief of weak backs, for materially correcting the curvature of the spine, sunken chests and round shoulders, and may be used to advantage in maternity cases and by those who have undergone surgical operations.

I claim 1. In a body support, a vertical back member, having at upper and lower portions thereof opposite angularly extended and forwardly curved members to bear on the hips and back at opposite sides of the spine and to support the back member clear of the spine, said back member being composed of plate sections vertically adjustable one on the other, and having means for confining said sections in their adiustmcnts, and said 0 )positely extended members being individually adjustable relatively to the back memberboth as to degree and the angularity of their extensions, and means for confining the oppositely extended members in the adjustments on the back members. an abdominal band and means for connecting the ends thereof to the back member, and shoulder encircling members, having a plate to which they converge and have connection, said plate being detachably connect-- ed to the upper part of the back member, and the shoulder encircling members having connections with the back member at upper opposite side portions thereof.

2. In a body support, a vertical back member, having at upper and lower portions thereof opposite angularly extended and forwardly curved members to bear on the hips and back at opposite sides of the spine, and to support the back member clear of the spine, an abdominal band and means for connecting the ends thereof to the back member, and shoulder encircling members convergently arranged relatively to and detachably connected to the upper part of the back member, and having connections with the back member at upper opposite side portions thereof, and each said shoulder encircling member comprising flexible strap-like sections in the portions which connect with the back member, and an intermediate curved metallic section, for disposition at the portions of the body under the arms.

3. In a body support, a back member provided with upwardly opening and rearwardly offset tongues adjacent opposite edges thereof, an abdominal band having clasp plates at the ends thereof adapted to overlapthe rear of the back member and to have engagements within said upwardly opening offset tongues, and having shoulders for engaging the back member and preventing rocking movements thereof relatively to such member, and shoulder encircling members, connected to the upper end and to opposite sides of the back member.

4. In a body support a back member consisting of facewise disposed plates, one of which has longitudinal slots, headed bolts passing through one of the plates and through the slots in the other and having confining nuts, forwardly curved members for bearing on the hips and back at opposite sides of the spine and supporting the back member clear of the spine, each said curved member having an outward adjustment relatively to the back member, and a swinging adjustment relatively thereto, and means for confining said curved members in adjusted positions on the back member, a band eX tending from engagement with the back member around the abdomen, and shoulder encircling members connected to the upper end and to the opposite sides of the back member.

5. In a body support, a back member consisting of longitudinally adjustable sections and said back member having bolts extended therethrough near the edge portions of its upper and lower ends, and also having are shaped slots concentric with said bolts, forwardly curved members for bearing on the hips and back at opposite sides of the spine, each having longitudinally alined slots through the outer ones of which the aforementioned bolts are passed and the inner ones of which intersect the aforementioned curved slots in the back member, bolts passed through the intersecting slots, and confining nuts for the several bolts, a band extending from engagement with the back member around the abdomen, and shoulder encircling members connected to the upper end and to the opposite sides of the back member.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of a subscribing witness.

Witness G. R. DRISCOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

